PPP's counsel said the government was attempting to rig the polls by usurping the ECP's powers. PHOTO: lhc.gov.pk
Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial was hearing a set of petitions against partyless local elections as envisaged in the Punjab Local Government Act 2013. The petitions have been filed by representatives of the PPP, PTI and other opposition parties.
PTI’s counsel Advocate Bakhtiar Kasuri said delimitation was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan, but the provincial government had taken over the role by introducing the new law. This would create doubts about the transparency of the polls, he said.
PPP’s counsel Sardar Latif Khosa said patwaris had been given judicial powers for delimitation. He said the government was attempting to rig the polls by usurping the ECP's powers.
He said according to the Constitution of Pakistan, the responsibility for delimitation lay with the ECP.
The chief justice said the court had always protected the public interest. He said the court would not allow anyone to act illegally.
An assistant advocate general told the court that the delimitation process was in progress and would be completed soon.
The court adjourned the hearing till October 24.
Meanwhile, Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh sought reply in three weeks from the government on a petition government’s role in delimitation for the local government election.
DCO hears complaints
District Coordination Officer Naseem Sadiq, the district delimitation officer, on Monday heard complaints and suggestions regarding new delimitation in the city from four out of five tehsils.
The delimitation officer is required to submit a concise report on the suggestions and objections by October 23. Objections and suggestions were invited after the new delimitation, that divides the city into 263 union councils, was made public on October 10. The Delimitation Authority is expected to take decisions regarding suggestions and complaints by November 2. The final delimitation lists will be published on November 3. A notification of the final list of electoral units, in light of decisions taken by the Delimitation Authority and a revision of maps, will be released by November 4.
The city was previously divided into 150 union councils. The new list is based on the 1998 census. Sadiq said the UCs had a population of 19,000 to 27,000.
A total of 250 complaints and suggestions were received. Once complaints of a similar nature were clubbed together, the number was down to 125. Of these, Sadiq heard 92 on Monday. He will hear the rest on Tuesday (today).
The complaints heard on Monday came from Raiwind, Model Town, Shalimar and Cantonment tehsils. The most were received from City tehsil.
Most of the complaints heard were about how the new delimitation divided the vote bank in the area.
Nazir Chohan, a resident of Mian Muhammad Din Colony, Bhaghbanpura, Shalimar tehsil, said he was from the PTI and enjoyed considerable support in the area. But the new delimitation divided that area into two UCs, thus dividing the party’s vote bank.
Israr Bhatti, of Johar Town H3, Raiwind tehsil, said the strong caste-based vote bank in his area had been divided in the new delimitation. The division of the area into two UCs would damage their voter strength, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2013.
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